1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of treating a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface, and a device therefor.
2. Background Information
Smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface have gained considerable popularity as kitchen appliances.
Thus, cooking appliances having ceramic or glass ceramic cooking surfaces are known.
They provide a substantially smooth upper surface on which can be disposed the various utensils that are to be heated.
In these appliances, the cooking zones can be heated, as a rule, by means of electrically operated or gas operated heating devices arranged below the ceramic or glass ceramic cooking surface in the region of the cooking zones. These devices can be, for example, electrically operated contact-heating or radiant heating elements or else gas-jet burners.
An example of a cooktop comprises an induction heating apparatus having a cooktop including a plurality of induction surface heating units. The cooktop comprises a horizontally disposed planar metal support surface having a plurality of openings therein. A ceramic smooth-top plate is supported in each of the openings and adapted to support a cooking utensil thereon. An induction heating coil is supported subjacent the ceramic plate in a position to generate a magnetic field which passes through the plate to link the cooking utensil. Each plate is supported by a metallic trim frame, which abuts a conductive layer on the plate, with the frame and layer combining to provide a low reluctance flux path, the low reluctance path operating to reduce the magnetic flux leaked into the space surrounding the heating apparatus during operation thereof.
Another example of a cooktop has a heating unit that includes two tubular tungsten-halogen lamps, each having a tungsten filament. The lamps are supported within a ring of ceramic fibre material and the unit is preferably mounted beneath an infra-red-transmissive cooktop to define a hotplate area of a cooking hob. A control circuit provides a range of discrete power outputs of the lamps, each power output corresponding to a power control setting set by a user of the cooking hob. The circuit includes a phase control circuit for switching power to the lamps at a predetermined phase angle to achieve one or more of the lower power outputs.
Yet another example of a cooktop comprises a burner for a xe2x80x9csealed topxe2x80x9d range which has a generally upwardly diverging conical body with radially disposed fuel ports and a generally flat removable cap disposed on the upper periphery of the body.
Cooking leaves spills or residues at times which need to be removed.
Cleaning a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface is then a difficult task at times.
It has hitherto been suggested to clean the cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove comprising a smooth-top cooktop with a source of heat disposed below said cooking surface to pass heat through said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface with a cleaning agent for removing residue from a warm or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface.
However, such cleaning endeavor is at best able to only remove easy-to-clean residues that are readily removed by rubbing a cloth saturated with a cleaning agent or which wipes the cleaning agent across the smooth-top cooking surface.
Thus, in accordance with one aspect, the invention relates to a cleaning device or scraper which is configured with a handgrip portion and a working portion for receiving thereat a blade and which cleaning scraper resists temperatures above one hundred and thirty degrees Celsius, particularly two hundred and forty degrees Celsius and higher, and is withstanding a glass surface or glass-like surface.
Under the trademark xe2x80x9cCERA-Quickxe2x80x9d of the assignee of the present invention, there are known cleaning scrapers for glass ceramic cooktops. The known cleaning scrapers are made of metal. The metallic handgrip portion is short and in parts thereof is configured with sharp edges. This cleaning scraper provides the advantage that it can be left unintentionally on a hot glass ceramic plate without the scraper leaving temperature-dependent residues on the glass ceramic plate of the cooking stove. It is, however, of detriment that the scraper becomes very hot due to the conductivity of the metal, such that the user is possibly burned when lifting the hot scraper. Furthermore, there arises the danger of burning due to the relatively short handle when cleaning the hot surface with the scraper.
There are also known on the market cleaning scrapers which are made of thermoplastic synthetic-plastic material. When such scrapers are unintentionally left on a hot glass ceramic plate, they tend to melt, which leads to a damage of the glass ceramic surface which is to be cleaned. At the surface there can arise during cooling so-called xe2x80x9cconchiforms,xe2x80x9d or conchoidal formations (German term: Ausmuschelungen).
In Federal Republic of Germany Patent Application Publication DE 41 41 593 A1, corresponding, inter alia, to U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,226, issued to Gringer on Oct. 15, 1991 and entitled, xe2x80x9cTool for Carrying a Scraping or Stripping Blade,xe2x80x9d there is described the configuration of a cleaning scraper. This scraper is intended for use on cold surfaces. The scraper is comprised of an elastic synthetic-plastic material which is of little or no use for an application on hot surfaces, particularly glass ceramic cooktops.
The literature also comprises Schrxc3x6bter, W., xe2x80x9cTaschenbuch der Chemie [Pocketbook of Chemistry],xe2x80x9d 10th edition, 1983, Deutsch-Verlag, Thun, Frankfurt/Main, pages 582 to 590, which describe that duroplastic materials disintegrate without prior softening and that they are insoluble or inert. Therein reference is also made that melamine is useable up to a temperature of one hundred and thirty degrees Celsius.
Glass ceramic smooth-top cooking surfaces are typically manufactured by rolling Lixe2x80x94Alxe2x80x94Si glass (xe2x80x9cgreen glassxe2x80x9d), which is then ceramized.
It is the object of the present invention to propose a cleaning method and a device therefor of the type introduced in the foregoing which scraper, on contact with a hot surface, does not leave residues and particularly in the case of glass ceramic cooktops does not lead to a damage of the surface thereof, which scraper itself is not subjected to damage, and which method scraper can readily be used in a convenient manner also on hot surfaces.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of use with a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface with a device for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface, said method comprising the steps of: moving said device for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface across a heated or cold cooking surface; removing residue from cooking spills and the like from said heated cooking surface with said device for removing residue from cooking spills and the like residues from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; said device for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface comprising a portion configured to minimize damage to said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or said stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface when said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface is either heated or cold; said portion being configured with sufficient stiffness and rigidity to maintain its structural shape for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface on being pressed to either a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface when heated or cold to remove residue from cooking spills and the like from said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; said portion being configured to withstand use on a heated smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; said portion of said device holding a residue removing part to remove residue from said hot cooking surface; said residue removing part being held by said portion of said device; said portion of said device comprising a material of construction having a thermal conductivity being sufficiently low to minimize heat conduction between said residue removing part and said portion holding said residue removing part; and also having a thermal conductivity to minimize heat being conducted along said portion upon said residue removing part making contact with a hot smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; in said method: said moving of said device across said heated smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface comprising: maintaining, when said a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface is heated, said sufficient stiffness and rigidity upon removing residue from cooking spills and the like from said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention there is provided an arrangement for performing a method of use with and being configured for use with a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface, said arrangement comprising an arrangement for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface, said method of use comprising the steps of: moving said arrangement for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface across a heated or cold cooking surface; removing residue from cooking spills and the like with said arrangement for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; said arrangement comprising: a device for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface comprising a portion configured to minimize damage to said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or said stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface when said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface is either heated or cold; said portion being configured with sufficient stiffness and rigidity to maintain its structural shape for removing residue from cooking spills and the like from a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface on being pressed to either a heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface when heated or cold to remove residue from cooking spills and the like from said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; said portion being configured to withstand use on a heated smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; said portion of said device holding a residue removing part to remove residue from said hot cooking surface; said residue removing part being held by said portion of said device; said portion of said device comprising a material of construction having a thermal conductivity being sufficiently low to minimize heat conduction between said residue removing part and said portion holding said residue removing part; and also having a thermal conductivity to minimize heat being conducted along said portion upon said residue removing part making contact with a hot smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface; in said method: said moving of said device across said heated or cold smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface comprising: maintaining, when said a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of a smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface is heated, said sufficient stiffness and rigidity upon removing residue from cooking spills and the like from said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface of said smooth-top kitchen ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop or a stove having a ceramic or glass ceramic cooktop cooking surface on its cooking surface.
The invention teaches, in accordance with at least one embodiment, that the foregoing object can be accomplished by a scraper in which the handgrip portion and the working portion are formed of a duroplastic synthetic-plastic material.
This cleaning scraper can be economically produced, for example, by a flow-press method. In other words, in at least one embodiment of the invention, the manufacture of the scraper can be carried out by an impact injection method. In other words, furthermore, in at least one embodiment of the invention, the manufacture of the scraper can be carried out by an extrusion method or the like molding method. The handle portion can be configured in an ergonomically favorable manner and the stability can be increased by stiffening ribs.
Duroplastic synthetic-plastic materials can comprise melamine resins or unsaturated polyester resins. Experimentation has shown that the scraper is not damaged even when being subjected to be in contact with a glass ceramic cooking surface having a temperature of from about five hundred degrees Celsius to six hundred degrees Celsius; and it does not damage this surface in terms of conchiforms or chemical attack. Due to the high thermal stability of the duroplastic synthetic-plastic material, the scraper does not leave residues on the hot cooking surface.
The cleaning scraper can be conveniently handled, due to a lower heat conductivity when compared to metal, also on hot surfaces, since it does not become too hot.
The cleaning scraper can be used to clean grill or cooking surfaces made of glass ceramic, glass ceramic fireplace view windows, stove-sight-screens made of glass, glass surfaces of windows, doors and pieces of furniture, and in case of ceramic surfaces such as heating plates and tiles.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the dependent claims and the following description.
The above-discussed embodiments of the present invention will be described further herein below. When the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d is used in this specification, the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d includes xe2x80x9cinventionsxe2x80x9d, that is, the plural of xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d. By stating xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d, the Applicants do not in any way admit that the present application does not include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention, and maintains that this application may include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention. The Applicants hereby assert that the disclosure of this application may include more than one invention, and, in the event that there is more than one invention, that these inventions may be patentable and non-obvious one with respect to the other.